Lithium ion battery

Abstract

A lithium ion battery includes at least one battery cell. The battery cell includes a cathode electrode, an anode electrode, and a separator. The separator is sandwiched between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode. At least one of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode includes a current collector. The current collector is a carbon nanotube layer consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lithium ion battery comprising at least one battery cell, the at least one battery cell comprising:
 a cathode electrode; 
 an anode electrode; and 
 a separator sandwiched between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode; 
 wherein at least one of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode comprises a current collector, the current collector is a carbon nanotube layer consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes uniformly distributed and substantially aligned along a same direction; further comprising a conducting tab electrically connected to the carbon nanotube layer, and the conducting tab has a strip shape and is substantially perpendicular to the aligned direction of the plurality of carbon nanotubes. 
 
     
     
       2. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of stacked carbon nanotube films, the plurality of carbon nanotubes in each of the plurality of stacked carbon nanotube films are aligned along the same direction, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes in at least two of the plurality of stacked carbon nanotube films are substantially perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
       3. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer are entangled with each other and randomly dispersed. 
     
     
       4. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises a surface, and an angle between a primary alignment direction of the carbon nanotubes and a surface of the pressed carbon nanotube film is greater than 0 degrees and less than 15 degrees. 
     
     
       5. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode electrode further comprises a cathode material layer and the carbon nanotube layer stacked with each other. 
     
     
       6. The lithium ion battery of  claim 5 , wherein the cathode material layer consists of a plurality of cathode active material particles and a plurality of carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
       7. The lithium ion battery of  claim 5 , wherein the cathode material layer and the carbon nanotube layer are two separate layer structures. 
     
     
       8. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode electrode further comprises two cathode material layers and the carbon nanotube layer, the carbon nanotube layer is sandwiched by the two cathode material layers. 
     
     
       9. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the anode electrode further comprises an anode material layer and the carbon nanotube layer stacked with each other. 
     
     
       10. The lithium ion battery of  claim 9 , wherein the anode material layer consists of a plurality of anode active material particles and a plurality of carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
       11. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the conducting tab is electrically connected to the carbon nanotube layer through a point contact. 
     
     
       12. The lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery comprises a plurality of battery cells stacked with each other. 
     
     
       13. The lithium ion battery of  claim 12 , wherein the cathode electrode comprises cathode material layer and the carbon nanotube layer stacked with each other. 
     
     
       14. The lithium ion battery of  claim 13 , wherein the cathode material layer consists of a plurality of cathode active material particles and a plurality of carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
       15. The lithium ion battery of  claim 13 , wherein the cathode material layer and the carbon nanotube layer are two separated layer structures. 
     
     
       16. The lithium ion battery of  claim 12 , wherein the cathode electrode comprises two cathode material layer and one carbon nanotube layer, the carbon nanotube layer is sandwiched by the two cathode material layer. 
     
     
       17. The lithium ion battery of  claim 12 , wherein the anode electrode comprises two anode material layer and one carbon nanotube layer, the carbon nanotube layer is sandwiched between the two anode material layer. 
     
     
       18. The lithium ion battery of  claim 17 , wherein the anode material layer consists of a plurality of anode active material particles and a plurality of carbon nanotubes.